Hicks: Ann Curry 'professionally tortured' according to new book

Ann Curry was basically professionally tortured her last months as co-anchor of "Today," according to Brian Stelter's new book "Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV."

MSN reported Thursday that an excerpt from Stelter's upcoming tell-all describes a boys club atmosphere at "Today," co-anchor Matt Lauer's "growing indifference" to Curry and a "general meanness on set" during Curry's time as co-anchor, according to MSN. The book says executive producer Jim Bell made a blooper reel of Curry's biggest on-air gaffs, while people in the control room made ongoing jokes about Curry and her wardrobe.

Insulting a woman's wardrobe -- who does such a thing? It's just not safe ...

Curry's abuse also included giving her an undesirable office location and insults at the security desk.

"Many executives at the network never grasped how profoundly hurt and humiliated Curry remained -- not just by her televised dismissal but by all the backstage machinations that led to that fateful morning," Stelter wrote. "Curry felt that the boys club atmosphere behind the scenes at 'Today' undermined her from the start, and she told friends that her final months were a form of professional torture."

The story also details the tricks the show used to pay off guests, how NBC tweaked Nielsen ratings, and the cutthroat battle against rival "Good Morning America."

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Sounds like the CIA -- maybe worse. Hey, you don't suppose they'd ever get their hands on a drone to send over "Good Morning America?"

The book describes Curry has being ambitious before she arrived at "Today," the co-hosting gig something she chased for years before Katie Couric's contract was up, despite few around NBC really believing she'd be a good fit. Couric allegedly even called her "fake" and there was talk of moving Curry to "Dateline NBC." When Meredith Vieira became the next co-anchor, Curry was to be next in line. Though Bell and others didn't approve, she ascended to the seat in 2012.

When ratings started to slump, Bell supposedly fixated on Curry. One of his buddies apparently warned him that firing Curry after six months would amount to "killing Bambi," but after a tussle with president of NBC News Steve Capus, "Operation Bambi" was a go. First Lauer would sign a new contract; then Curry was to be pushed out and replaced by Savannah Guthrie.

According to MSNBC, Bell has denied much of this, just as Lauer denied telling a production assistant, "I can't believe I am sitting next to this woman." The excerpt adds Lauer signed his new $25 million deal with the show after Steve Burke told him, "We need to sign you so we can do Ann."

That doesn't sound very nice at all.

Curry wasn't gelling with Lauer or the morning show's vibe and preferred real news to bubbly tabloid segments. Bell tried to use that, along with a nice bottle of wine, to make her demotion after nine months more attractive. While Bell wanted her out, Capus was telling Curry not to worry. Curry was supposedly on board for her transition to roving news correspondent, until the New York Times broke the story. By then Curry felt sidelined, hurt and furious.

ROBIN ROBERTS WAS BACK IN HOSPITAL: Robin Roberts suffered complications from her bone-marrow transplant requiring hospitalization last week.

The 52-year-old "Good Morning America" anchor fell ill last week, but told fans on Facebook that she'll be OK.

"Last week, in the middle of my Key West vacation, I began not to feel well. Nothing serious, just under the weather," she wrote. "I contacted my doctors and flew back to NYC. They felt it best to admit me into the hospital for a few days. Seems my young immune system needed a little boost to fight off 'opportunistic infections.'"

My doctors assured me that this was NOT because I was working or doing too much, too soon," she added. "It's extremely common, post bone marrow transplant, to have complications. I'm blessed that mine have not been severe."

Roberts wrote she's "feeling MUCH better, and will relax at home for the rest of the week," adding, "I'll be back on GMA next week ... as my sweet mama would say: 'Good Lord willing, and the creek don't rise!'"

So ... she lives by a creek?

Roberts also sent well-wishes to the city of Boston, writing, "We stand by you now and always."

'AMERICAN PIE' ACTOR NEEDS SWAT TEAM TO EVICT WOMAN: "American Pie" star Eddie Kaye Thomas needed a SWAT team to get a woman out of his home Wednesday night, after she pulled a knife on him.

Wow. I didn't think the movie was THAT bad.

According to TMZ, Thomas only knew her for about 24 hours, after meeting her Tuesday night at Mel's Diner in Los Angeles. They went back to his place, where they remained until Wednesday afternoon, when they got into an argument and she pulled a knife.

Thomas got out of the house, while she remained barricaded inside for a couple hours. Police finally decided they had better things to do and forced her out with tear gas.

She was taken into custody, checked out at a hospital, and then booked for felony vandalism, for allegedly busting up some of Thomas' personal belongings, including a phone and a guitar.

JACKSON FAMILY WORRIED ABOUT PATERNITY ISSUE: Michael Jackson's mother worries Debbie Rowe might talk about the paternity of Michael's three children when Katherine Jackson's suit against concert promoter AEG goes to trial.

According to TMZ, Jackson's lawyers have been inquiring about what Rowe may say while on the stand during the family's wrongful death lawsuit against AEG. The concern is apparently over Rowe possibly saying Michael Jackson wasn't the biological father of Prince Michael and Paris, the two oldest kids, to whom Rowe gave birth.

TMZ reported in 2009 that Michael Jackson was not the biological father of the pair.

Both parties in the lawsuit have Rowe on their witness list. AEG already took her deposition, which TMZ reported included no discussion over paternity issues.

The website speculated that Jackson's interest in Rowe's testimony is rooted in the idea that the family's claim for damages against AEG would be hurt if it comes out the kids aren't Michael's biologically. Jackson's lawyers have asked the court to exclude any evidence of paternity.

Weird. If I didn't know better, it's almost as if perhaps someone sort of almost believes it might -- might -- be possible (however unlikely, of course) that Michael Jackson didn't actually father those kids.

It likely wouldn't matter anyway because, California law presumes that when a woman gives birth while living with her husband, the husband is the father, unless it's proven he can't reproduce.

Friday is April 19, the 109th day of 2013. There are 256 days left in the year.

1775: The American Revolutionary War began with the battles of Lexington and Concord.

1861: A week after the Civil War began, President Abraham Lincoln authorized a blockade of Southern ports.

1912: A special subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee opened hearings in New York into the Titanic disaster.

1933: The United States went off the gold standard.

1943: During World War II, tens of thousands of Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto began a valiant but ultimately futile battle against Nazi forces.

1951: Gen. Douglas MacArthur, relieved of his Far East command by President Harry S. Truman, bade farewell in an address to Congress in which he quoted a line from a ballad: "Old soldiers never die; they just fade away."

1960: South Korean students began an uprising that toppled the government of President Syngman Rhee a week later. The South West African People's Organization (SWAPO) was founded in Namibia.

1982: Astronauts Sally K. Ride and Guion S. Bluford Jr. became the first woman and first African-American to be tapped for U.S. space missions.

1993: The 51-day siege at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, ended as fire destroyed the structure after federal agents began smashing their way in; dozens of people, including sect leader David Koresh, were killed.

2003: Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo (oh-LOO'-see-gun oh-BAH'-sahn-joh) won a new term in an election denounced by opponents as fraudulent.

2005: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany was elected pope in the first conclave of the new millennium; he took the name Benedict XVI.

2008: President George W. Bush wrapped up two days of talks at Camp David with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. A Russian capsule carrying South Korea's first astronaut (Yi So-yeon) touched down 260 miles off target in northern Kazakhstan after hurtling through the atmosphere in a bone-jarring descent from the international space station.

2012: Republicans rammed an election-year, $46 billion tax cut for most of America's employers through the House, ignoring a White House veto threat. (The measure went down to defeat in the Senate.) India announced the successful test launch of a new nuclear-capable missile. Levon Helm, drummer and singer for The Band, died in New York City at age 71. Greg Ham, a member of the Australian band Men at Work, was found dead in his Melbourne home; he was 58.